Dooney Runs at European Championships

Kevin Dooney. (photo by Robert Cole)

Dec 08, 2013

Dublin Native Represents Ireland on International Stage

NEW HAVEN, Conn.—Yale men's cross country team sophomore Kevin Dooney capped off his season in memorable fashion on Sunday, representing his home country of Ireland at the 20th SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Competing as one of the six members of Ireland's Under-23 squad, Dooney ran the 8K race in 24:57, placing 38th overall and third on the Irish team. Ireland placed fourth overall in the U-23 race, trailing only France, Great Britain & Northern Ireland and Ukraine.

Dooney unsurprisingly closed the race especially strong—a skill he has showcased consistently throughout his first two years of collegiate cross country. The sophomore standout finished the first 2,000 meters of Sunday's race in 52nd place before moving up seven spots in the race's next 3,000 meters and seven more in the closing 3,000 meters.

For Dooney, the strong showing in Europe was just another achievement during what has been a tremendous second-year campaign. Despite struggling with some lingering injury issues early in the season, Dooney came up big for the Bulldogs as the season progressed, ending the season with four consecutive first-place team finishes, earning All-Region and second team All-Ivy honors, and running at the Division I NCAA Cross Country National Championships.

Upon returning to the United States, Dooney will enjoy some rest during the holiday break before returning to competition when the indoor track and field season resumes in January. Dooney figures to be one of the Bulldogs' top distance runners this year, having already recorded the fifth-fastest outdoor 10,000-meter personal record and ninth-fastest indoor 5,000-meter personal record in Yale history as a freshman last season.